Renaissance Visionaries

Students investigate how visual arts served as a vehicle for political power, religious messaging, and scientific observation during the Renaissance. This sequence moves beyond simple art appreciation to the analysis of 'visual rhetoric'—how perspective, anatomical realism, and classical allusions were used to convey meaning.

The Mathematics of Perspective

Students learn the geometric principles of linear perspective rediscovered by Brunelleschi and codified by Alberti. They apply these concepts by deconstructing the vanishing points in Masaccio’s 'The Holy Trinity' to understand how art rationalized space.

Anatomy and Realism

Examining the notebooks of Da Vinci and the sculptures of Michelangelo, students explore the intersection of dissection, observation, and art. They analyze how the accurate depiction of the human body celebrated the physical world.

Decoding Classical Allusions

Students engage in an iconography workshop, decoding the pagan symbols in Botticelli’s 'Primavera' and 'Birth of Venus'. They interpret how Neoplatonism allowed Christian patrons to embrace pagan mythology without heresy.

The Economics of Patronage

Students analyze the Medici family's financial records and commissions to understand art as political propaganda. They evaluate how patronage legitimized wealth and power in Republican Florence.

Architecture as Power

Focusing on the construction of the Florence Cathedral dome, students explore the engineering challenges and civic pride associated with Renaissance architecture. The lesson concludes with a comparative look at Gothic vs. Renaissance structures.